Improvement in air-engines



lettori ditta.

DAVID MYERS, TOF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

Letters Patent No.. 109,338, dated November 15, 1870.

IMPROVEMENT IN AIR-ENGINES.

The Schedule referred to ln these Letters Patent and making part of thesame.

I, DAVID MYERS, of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois,have invented certain Improvements in Compressed-Air Engines, otwhichthc following is a specification.

In the accompanying drawing-7- Figure l is a plan or top view of anengine constructed after my invention. v

Figure 2 is a central horizontal section of the cylinder and valves.

Figure 3 is a detached view of the reversing apparatus.

General Description.

. A A are two `metallic hemisphercs, so termed, although not preciselyhcmispherical in form.

They areeach fitted with a flange, a c', by means of which they may-befastened together by boltspassing through the said flanges.`

At one side the metal of said hemispheres is continued, to form channelsof communication, b b', with the valve-chest vll.

C is a diaphragm or partition ot' India. rubber or `other iicxiblematerial, secured between the flanges a a', and dividing the cylinderinto two equal parts, marked, respectively, I) 1).

1d is the piston-rod, passing through boxes c c', which are properlypacked and rendered air-tight, and through the `center ot` the diaphragmC, to which itis secured by means of the disks or plates F F, which arebolted upon each side ct' the diaphragm, and which serve to strengthenand stiften the same around the said piston rod. l

G is thc valve-rod, which operates an ordinary sliding valve, H.

J is the supply-pila.

The compressed air enters the valve-chest li, passes around the valve'l-lV and hito one of the passa-ges b or lf.

The drawing indicates this course by arrows. Say it passes into thepassage b', through which it will reach the compartment 1)' otl thecylinder, and will exert its force to send home the pistou-rod, bypressing against the partit-ion or diaphragm C, which will assumeaposit-ion indicated by the dotted line.

The dead air in the compartment I), will be exhausted or forced outthrough the passage I into the small chamber j', from whence there areseveral tree passages into the open air.

As the valve is moved by appropriate machinery, this operation isalternately afiirmcd and reversed, giving the proper and usualreciprocating motion to the piston-rod E, whence itis communicated tothedesired machinery.

.cxtreme simplicity and cheapncss.

Ot' course it will be understood that the rubber diaphragm abovedescribed would not be suitable for use in a steam-cylinder or with hotair, as the hea-t would melt or soften the rubber.

The reversing apparatus consist-s of the quadrant K, which is pivoted tothe crank L at'M.

This said crank L has, rigidly attached thereto, the spring-crank orlever O, which has a pin, p, working in a slot, s, of the quadrant K; v

The crank L is rigidly attached to the main shaft T, which cari-ics thetiy-wheel U and the main or drivin g-crank V.

The connecting-rod, W, which communicates motion to the valve-rod G, andso to the valves, is pivotcd to the quadrant K at a point, s, eccentricto the main shaft T.

As is-customary in ordinarysliding-valve motion,

the eonnectingarm is pivoted so that it shall be about aquarterrevolution of the main shaft in advance el the main crank Y.

Now the quadrant 1i is so adjusted that, when the pin p stands as in thedrawing, the valve motion' shall bca| quarter in advance ofthe maincrank; but when the pin p stands'at p the said valve motion shall be a.quarter behind the main crank.

This difference constitutes the reverse- 7 \Vhcn the valve motion is aquarter in advance the engine moves for 'ard, and when itis a quarterbehind the engine moves backward or' reverses.

The spring-crank or lever O has certain pins or catches which fit intocorresponding cavities in the quadrant 1i, to hold the same in placeafter it has been moved backward or forward.

The advantage urged for this reversing device is its An ordinary linkmotion or other reversing apparatus, even the simplest ot` them, areintricate and complex in their construction, and very costly. Thisreversing apparatus, taken with the cylinder, constitutes an exceedinglyehe-ap and simple engine.

Having thus described my invention,

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

Thc combination ot the. quadrant K and springcrank or lever O, when soconstructed and arranged thatthe 'alve motion may be reversed,substantially as shown.

DAVID MYERS.

\Vitnesses:

L. L. (JonUnN, J. \V. MnNnAr.

